


To The Ends of the Universe

by klancerlover



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #angst, #blood, #established Klance, #established relationship, #fluff, #half-galra Keith, #protective keith, #protective lance, #soft, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 17,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26704486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klancerlover/pseuds/klancerlover
Summary: On an ally planet, things go wrong. Very wrong.
Relationships: Keith/Lance
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! Kyra here with another fic!  
> I’m sure you all noticed that Union is gone.  
> :(  
> I’m sorry. I lost my motivation for it, it really wasn’t going anywhere.  
> But I will do another Royalty AU at some point! 
> 
> Anyways, Keith’s a gay dumbass.  
> This is a set up for plot!

_Team Voltron was at a swap moon again, getting parts for the Castle of Lions after the ship took a hard hit from the Galra. “All right, team. You know how this goes. Find the stuff. Meet back here in one hour. Lance, Keith, you’re in charge of finding the Scaltrite lens. Hunk, Pidge, whatever is on that list Coran gave you, go find it. I will go on my own and look for the rest of the stuff.” Shiro said. He then crossed his arms, “Remember to keep a low profile. Don’t cause any trouble.” He said. He pointedly looked at Keith._

_Keith frowned, “Why are you looking at me?” He asked. “Well, you did cause trouble at that other swap moon last time because of that knife shop.” Pidge spoke up. “Hey, that wasn’t my fault! The Unilu~” Keith began, but stopped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked to see Lance beside him, holding up a hand. “Easy, hotshot. We know it wasn’t your fault.” He said, trying to calm him down. Keith looked away from him, crossing his arms. “But I will keep an eye on him for you, Shiro.” Lance then said. _

_Keith pushed him away, turning red with anger as Lance laughed._

_“I don’t need anyone to keep an eye on me.” He growled. “Enough. Go.” Shiro said. Keith stalked away, his hands curled into fists. “Hey! Wait up!” He heard Lance call behind him. “Quiznack, you’re fast.” Lance caught up to him, out of breath. Keith ignored him, walking on. “Keith. Keith.” Lance called to him. “I was just kidding.” He said. “You had a funny way of showing that.” Keith muttered. “Hey.” Lance grabbed his wrist, and Keith stopped, turning to him. “Let go of me.” He said. “Will you let me explain?” Lance asked. Keith stayed quiet, listening. “I’m sorry. You looked grumpy, and I just wanted to make you laugh. I shouldn’t have said it like you can’t control yourself.” Lance said. _

_Keith isn’t surprised when his anger leaves. Lance was always able to do that. What he is surprised about is that Lance tried to make him laugh. “I wasn’t…grumpy.” Keith mumbled, his face turning red. “Really? So you weren’t pouting all day yesterday?” Lance asked. What was Keith supposed to say was the reason for his mood, that he got jealous from the alien females flirting with Lance on an ally planet? Lance then smiled kindly, his blue eyes glittering. “Hey…you can talk to me, you know that, right? I’m a good listener.” He suddenly said more gently. Keith let out a breath, turning red again. “Fine. Maybe I got…annoyed.” He mumbled. Lance’s smile disappeared, and was replaced with a frown. “Did someone bother you at that planet?” He asked softly. _

_Keith was surprised by how concerned Lance looked._

_“I know a lot of our allies know you’re half-Galra now. Did someone say something against you? Because if they did, I swear I’ll shoot them for you. You may be half-Galra, but so what? You’re still Keith.” Lance said. “I-no, you don’t need to shoot anyone. Can-can we just forget it? I’m fine now. We need to find those parts for the Castle of Lions.” Keith said, suddenly very aware that Lance was still holding his wrist._

_“Fine. But if anyone does say anything mean to you at any point, let me know.” Lance said seriously. Keith turned red as he nodded, pulling his hand away. “Let’s keep going.” Lance said, walking on. Keith rubbed his wrist unconsciously, the ghost of Lance’s hand still wrapped around it. They found an Unilu shop, and headed inside. The Unilu there regarded them with an odd look in his eyes. “Well, well. The Paladins of Voltron. What brings you to this swap moon?” He said._

_“We’re here to find some Scaltrite lenses. Would you happen to have any?” Lance said._

_“Scaltrite, hm? Rare thing to find around here.” The Unilu said. “We only need a few pieces.” Lance said. Keith was scanning the shop when his eyes landed on what looked like Scaltrite lenses hidden behind some alien devices, just as the Unilu huffed and said, “Out of stock, I’m afraid.” He said. Keith grabbed Lance’s arm, catching his attention. He slightly gestured to the lenses, and Lance followed his gaze. He then grinned and gave him a look that said, “I’ll distract him for you”. Keith nodded, and promptly slid away as Lance continued talking to the Unilu._

_Keith pulled out the Altean cartridge that Coran gave them to store the lenses carefully, and began to put in the lenses inside. When he was finished, he put the cartridge away. He then looked over at Lance, who looked back at him. Keith gestured to the exit, and Lance turned back to the Unilu. “Well, since you don’t have what we need, we’ll be leaving.” He said, and walked away, toward Keith. They both made for the exit, and just rounded when the Unilu shouted. “Hey! My Scaltrite lenses!” Lance screeched, “Run!!” He and Keith both ran like their life depended on it. Lance whooped wildly as they ran through the crowd of aliens, laughing. He saw some disguises, and quickly grabbed Keith, making him wear a black cloak and putting one on himself before pulling him into the shadows. The Unilu ran right past them. After a few seconds, Lance peered out to check if the coast was clear, and lifted his hood, laughing. Keith laughed as well, his heart racing from adrenaline._

_“We lost him.” Lance said._

_“Oh man, Shiro’s gonna be so mad. He said not to cause trouble.” He then said. “Who says he has to know?” Keith asked. Lance looked at him and grinned, “Keith, you rebel!” He said. “How many lenses did you get?” He then asked. Keith pulled out the cartridge to show him, “At least 20.” He said. “Score! That’s more than enough.” Lance whooped. Keith put the cartridge away as Lance held up his hand. “That was awesome. We make a great team.” He said._

_Keith looked at his hand, then at Lance. We make a great team. He reached up and high-fived him, and Lance grinned at him. “We should stay here for a few seconds, just in case he comes back.” He then said. Keith nodded, just as their communication links blinked. “Lance, Keith, we got what we needed. We’re heading back to that statue Shiro told us to.” Pidge spoke. “Got you, Pidge. We’re almost done here, we’ll see you guys in a bit.” Lance said, and gave Keith a wink that had him blushing. “You didn’t say where we really were.” Keith then noted after a second, clearing his throat. “Well, if Shiro doesn’t have to know, they don’t either.” Lance said. _

_Keith nodded, thrilled at the fact that Lance wanted to keep what happened a secret, just between them._

_Lance suddenly came closer to him, and Keith startled when he reached out and adjusted his cloak. “You look cute with this cloak. You should take it back to the Castle.” Lance said. “Huh?” Keith asked, now flustered. Lance just complimented him. Lance looked at him and smiled, “I said you look cute with the cloak I gave you.” He said. Keith turned dark red, struggling with the fact that Lance just complimented him. Again._

_And Keith is such a dumb gay that all he can say is, “…What?” weakly. And Lance laughs. Lance laughs that melodic, bubbly laugh of his, and Keith feels warm. “Keith, oh my god. You really haven’t noticed? I’ve been flirting with you for the past week, and you didn’t pick up anything at all?” Lance gasps, and he’s smiling so widely. “No…” Keith mumbled._

_“ Keith.” Lance said, and Keith turned even redder from embarrassment._

_“I thought you were joking.” He mumbled. “I wasn’t. I like you, Keith, a lot.” Lance said, his own cheeks turning red. “But those aliens~” Keith began without thinking, and Lance shook his head. “I told them I already have my eye on someone else.” He said. He then smiled more gently, “Was that why you were moody yesterday, and today?” He asked, lowering his voice. _

_Keith sighed, his shoulders drooping as he hung his head, “I’m sorry. I’m not the best at talking about my feelings.” He murmured. He then looked up again, “But I like you.” Lance smiled at this, his blue eyes brightening. And Keith doesn’t expect Lance to quickly lean closer and kiss him, literally stealing his breath. A muttering noise caught their attention, making them break apart. Lance’s eyes widened, “That’s the Unilu! Come on, let’s get out of here!” He took his hand and led him down the shadowy alley, and Keith let himself be pulled, still in a daze and processing what just happened._

_They got to the designated statue, just as Shiro joined._

_“What took you guys so long?” Pidge asked. Lance shrugged, “Coran did say that the Uniluu are annoying bargainers. He was basically about to make us slaves.” He said. Keith only nodded, still dazed. “If you all got your stuff, then let’s get out of here.” Shiro said. They left the moon in their lions, and Keith startled when his comms blinked just after sitting in his seat. Lance popped up on his screen, looking concerned. “Hey. Are you okay? You’ve been quiet since we got back to the statue.” He said. _

_“I’m fine.” Keith said. Lance didn’t look convinced. “Was I not supposed to do that? I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t exactly thinking, I just got really happy~” Lance began to ramble, and Keith instantly felt guilty. Lance was more aware of him than he thought. “Lance. Stop.” He said. Lance stopped, looking anxious. “It’s not that. I just-I got surprised. I wasn’t expecting it. I was…processing it. It happened so quickly.” Keith said quietly. “Oh.” Lance said. He went quiet for a few seconds after that, turning redder and redder. He then groaned and covered his face, “That’s so embarrassing.” He whined, his voice going up a few octaves._

_Keith laughed, amused._

_When they got to the Castle, Keith headed out of Red, waiting for the team to go ahead. When Lance got out of Blue, he grabbed his wrist. “Hey.” He said. Lance looked at him, his cheeks still a faint pink. Keith leaned up and kissed him._

_He then pulled away a second after, “Stop stressing out. Come on.” He said, gently tugging on his hand before walking ahead. “H-hey! Wait up!” Lance said, and Keith purposefully started running. “Keith!” Lance shouted, and Keith laughed loudly._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge knew. Trust.

_No one entirely noticed it, but Lance and Keith were hanging around each other more. You could see them talking quietly to each other in coalition meetings, and even training with each other more. You could also see that Keith was smiling a lot more, now a lot more open. He was afraid of being so vulnerable at first, and he’s still awkward, but he’s gotten so much better at talking about his feelings._

_And no one notices that Lance is extremely, physically affectionate with him. He’ll always have some part of him on or against Keith, whether it’s his hand on Keith’s arm or shoulder, or completely sitting in his lap and stroking his hair. Keith pretends to hate having his hair touched like that._

_Scratch that._

_He tries to pretend. And if you looked closely on moments when the two of them are alone, you could really see the love growing between them. You can see that when they train, Keith constantly praises Lance. You can see that in coalition meetings, Lance is fierce and passionate when it comes to the freedom of aliens that are slaves to Zarkon, and Keith watches him in adoration, and fiercely supports him. You can see them constantly protecting each other in Galra battles, whether it’s in their lions or on the ground of a planet. _

_You can see Keith tune in with his Galra side whenever Lance gets hurt, or you can see Lance become a deadly sharpshooter when Keith gets hurt. _

_You can see how they make each other grow. And no one from the team really notices that they are together. After a particularly intense fight with the Galra, team Voltron is back at the Castle, slightly battered but full of adrenaline. Lance jumped out of Blue and ran to Keith, whooping loudly as he leapt at him, tightly embracing him._

_“You were quiznacking amazing out there! That shot you aimed at that cannon with your fire ray? That was awesome!!” He said. It’s Shiro who’s about to call them into the observation deck to celebrate their victor that sees Lance lift up Keith and spin him around, laughing. Keith shouted at him to put him down, but he was laughing too._

_Oh. Oh. _

_Shiro wondered when that happened. He cleared his throat loudly, though he was amused. “Lance, Keith.” He said. Lance quickly put down a flustered Keith, “Yes?” He said, smiling widely at Shiro. “Come on. Let’s go celebrate.” Shiro said, and walked away. Lance whooped, “Yeah! When I say “Vol”, you say “Tron!” Vol!” He heard him chant, and was surprised to hear Keith finally complete the chant. “Tron!” They chanted until they got to the observation deck._

_Shiro catches Keith after their celebration just before he can leave with Lance. “Go on, Lance. I just want to talk to Keith.” He said. Lance nodded, and winked at Keith before leaving. Shiro looked at Keith, and realized something from the dazed look on his face._

_Keith was in love._

_“So. You and Lance, huh?” Shiro said. Keith looked at him, and he blushed. “Yeah.” He said quietly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Shiro asked. “We thought you guys already knew. We made it pretty obvious that we’re together.” Keith said. “Really? I never noticed. I just knew Lance is physically affectionate, and I thought you were getting more comfortable with that.” Shiro said. Keith smiled at this, “I am.” He said._

_“I should go. Lance will be waiting for me. See you tomorrow, Shiro.” He then said before walking away. Shiro watched him, and smiled to himself. “My little brother.” He said proudly before walking the other way._


	3. Chapter 3

There’s a lot of things that Lance loves. He loves his family. He loves his home. He loves his team, who are now a second family to him. He loves Shiro, and he loves Hunk, and he loves Pidge, and he loves Allura and Coran. But Lance loves Keith the most. He loves making him laugh and smile. He loves playing with his hair. He loves everything about Keith.

He’s dying to say 3 words to Keith, 3 _precious_ words. Because he knows exactly how he feels, and just how much he feels it. But he waits for now, because he knows how Keith feels about those words. He knows that Keith was abandoned after hearing those words, and Lance will _not do the same thing._ _He will not hurt him like that._

For now, he’s content with watching Keith spar against the Gladiator in pure awe and adoration, falling further and further in love.

The Gladiator sharply swung its staff, aimed for Keith’s head. Lance twitched, ready to run to protect him, but Keith ducked so fast it was like he didn’t even move. He swung his leg, and tripped the Gladiator, leaping forward and driving his sword into the Gladiator’s glowing blue centre.

_Yeah. Lance is in love._ “Lance?” Lance blinked, realizing Keith was calling to him. “Hey! Sorry, am I interrupting? I was just watching you.” Lance chirped, stepping further onto the training deck. Keith tilted his head, “Why would you be interrupting me? I’m glad to see you.” He said it with no hesitation whatsoever, and Lance knew he was absolutely done for. _He’s glad to see me, he’s glad to see me, he’s glad to see me-_ Lance internally screamed, his cheeks turning red.

“ _Really?_ ” Lance squeaked.

He then cleared his throat as his cheeks turned even redder, “Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. Um…so, if you’re done, do you want to do something fun?” Lance said. Keith put away his bayard and came to him, “Fun? Like what?” He asked.

Lance grinned, “I have an idea.” He said. His idea was to mess around in the Castle, making everyone believe it was haunted again. Before they could begin, though, the Castle alarms blared. The two ran off to put on their Paladin suits before making their way to the observation deck. “What’s going on, Allura?” Lance asked as the rest of the team came in.

“We just received a distress call from a nearby planet. It appears that the Galra is attacking them.” Allura said.

“Then let’s make our way there. Paladins, to your Lions.” Shiro said. Lance and Keith went toward the hangers together. “What’s up, Samurai? You seem bothered.” Lance spoke up. Keith made a low noise, “Something doesn’t feel right about this.” He said. “What, the attack? It never feels right.” Lance said. “No. I mean…” Keith trailed off for a second. “I think something’s about to happen.” He then said.

Lance stopped and turned to him, “You think the attack’s a trap?” He asked, wide-eyed. “I don’t know. This attack is just like any other, but I think we need to be careful.” Keith said. “Do you want to tell Shiro?” Lance asked. Keith nodded, and Lance relayed what just happened to the team as they got into their Lions.

“All right, team. You heard Lance. Does anyone else have the same feeling as Keith?” Shiro said over the comms.

“No, honestly. I think you’re just feeling horrible about the attack, Keith.” Pidge spoke up, and Hunk agreed. “No, I _know_ it’s not just that. Something’s not right.” Keith said. “I trust Keith. If he says something’s not right, I believe him.” Lance said, and Keith never felt more grateful to have him. “Okay. We’ll keep a sharp eye, Keith. Let’s head out.” Shiro said. “Thanks, Lance.” Keith said softly.

“I got you, Samurai. Let’s go kick some Galra butt!” Lance said. When they got to the planet- called X-Æ- the situation developed. It wasn’t some small-time Galra commander. It was Sendak. And he also had the leader of X-Æ, with his people hostage, poised to kill him. The Lions were forced to head further into the planet, in order to help X-Æ’s inhabitants.

Sendak grinned his ugly grin when the Paladins came out of their Lions, ready to fight.

“Let him go, Sendak.” Shiro ordered. “I will let him go only if you surrender the Lions to me.” Sendak growled. “How about you let him go, and we let you leave with your life?” Shiro asked. “Leave Sendak to me. You guys go deal with the Galra, and free the hostages.” Shiro then said to his team lowly.

“Victory or death.” Sendak snarled, and just as the other Paladins were about to run ahead, Sendak mercilessly ran his sword through the leader’s chest. “No!” Shiro shouted as the leader collapsed. The Paladins ran, while Shiro headed straight for Sendak. “Hunk, Pidge, free the hostages. Keith, you and I can take on the Galra.” Lance quickly took control.

Hunk and Pidge obeyed, and Keith stayed beside him.

“You think they stand a chance?” Lance asked him, grinning. Keith smirked, drawing his bayard. “No way.” He said. They ran forward, tackling the Galra soldiers.

Meanwhile, Shiro is facing Sendak, but little does he know that Sendak could care less about Voltron’s leader. No, he’s caught them all in his trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith was right


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets his broadsword earlier in this fic
> 
> Also, Half-Galra are called Half-breed or mutt among the pure Galra. It’s a very bad insult

Sendak watched the Black Paladin’s _precious_ team, searching for a weakness. The Green and Yellow Paladins are working together, freeing his hostages. _Let them, he has no care for them now, anyway._ The other two Paladins caught his attention. The Blue and Red ones. _No one else would notice, but the Blue Paladin was both shooting and protecting his teammate. Leaving himself vulnerable from behind._ _Bingo._

Sendak grinned and knocked away the Black Paladin, his sword covered with a sickly purple colour as he headed forward. _The Blue Paladin would not survive._ “Some of the Galra are getting away! I’ll go after them!” The Blue Paladin shouted before running. Sendak growled, and was about to go after him, only to be stopped by the Red Paladin, who seemed to know his intention.

He growled threateningly, his eyes turning yellow as he raised his sword.

_A half-breed?!_ “ _You’re not taking another step.”_ He snarled, baring his fangs _._ “ _Little mutt.”_ Sendak growled, and ran forward, raising his sword. Meanwhile, Lance was running after the Galra sentries, his rifle changing into his sword.

Using a move Keith taught him, he raised his sword and threw it, the sword slicing right through the soldier. Lance ran forward and grabbed it, aiming with deadly precision before striking the other soldier in the chest.

“The rest of the Galra are retreating!” Allura’s voice came into his helmet.

“Good riddance.” Lance growled, and ran back. When he got back to the team was, he started talking, unaware of anything. “The other Galra are dead. The rest have retreated.” He said. Pidge and Hunk looked at him in fear, and Lance’s heart stopped. “What’s wrong?” He asked, trying his best to stay calm. He saw Shiro on his knees, his back to him, and feared the worst. “Shiro?” He asked, and took a step forward.

Shiro looked at him, fear in his eyes as well. Lance looked at what he was holding, and his bayard dropped from his hands. “ _Keith?”_ Lance’s voice went high-pitched with terror. Keith was coughing up blood, and Lance could see that there was a tear in his black mesh suit where the Paladins were vulnerable, and there was a growing dark mass.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is slightly short but...next chapter will be longer and y’all are gonna hate me for it

“He’s been poisoned, and it’s acting quick.” Pidge said. Lance ran to Keith, framing his face frantically. “Lance…?” Keith whispered, sounding scared and vulnerable. “Hey. Hey, I’m here. It’s okay. It’s okay, it’s okay. Come here.” Lance said, and took him from Shiro. Keith groaned, coughing up more blood. Lance lost all control in a matter of seconds, tears spilling down his cheeks uncontrollably.

“It’s okay. You’re okay, you’re gonna be _fine.”_ He said desperately, “We have to get him back to the Castle. C’mon.” He slowly stood, and Keith nearly passed out from his pain, his breathing faint. “Paladin, your Altean technology will not help him.” One of the aliens spoke up. Lance turned to them, “What?” He asked. _He’d forgotten there were still a few hostages lingering._ “We know of this poison. Come with me, quickly!” The alien said, and ran off. Lance followed them, growing more and more terrified.

“Lance?” Keith whispered.

“Hey. Stay awake. We’re getting the poison out of you, okay? Stay with me.” Lance said. “I need to tell you…” Keith began, but Lance cut him off. “ _Hey. No, no, don’t do that. You’re not saying anything right now, you’re not dying. Don’t you dare do that.” _He said fiercely. When there was silence, Lance looked to see that Keith’s eyes were fluttering close.

_“Quiznack.”_ Lance cursed. The alien led him to a room, “Put him here.” They said, gesturing to a bed. Lance obeyed, stepping back. The alien pulled out what looked like a needle, “This will hurt him greatly, but I must remove the poison slowly. You don’t want to see this.” The alien said. “Come on, guys. They got this.” Shiro said.

“No. No, I can’t leave him. I promised him I wouldn’t.” Lance said frantically.

“ _You_ , specifically, shouldn’t see him in pain.” Shiro said. Lance looked at Keith, who was vulnerable and at the mercy of this alien. Shiro gently took his arm and led him out of the room, “It’s okay.” He said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch :)

It wasn’t okay. _It wasn’t._ The moment Lance heard Keith scream in pain, his instinct was to go back into the room. Shiro stopped him, looking pained. “No, Lance.” He said. “ _Someone has to be there with him! We can’t just leave him to endure that pain on his own! He needs someone with him!”_ Lance said desperately, his voice rising in pitch.

“I will go in. Stay here.” Shiro said, and went into the room. Keith screamed again, and Lance moved to follow, but Hunk stepped in front of him. “It’s okay, bud. Shiro’s with him.” He said. Lance whimpered fearfully, tugging on his hair as his tears continued to spill down his cheeks. He started pacing, his breaths rapid and shaky. “ _I don’t understand. What happened to him? How did he get poisoned?”_ He asked.

“Keith said that he saw Sendak going after you. He fought him, and Sendak’s blade was covered with poison. He cut him deep.” Pidge spoke up.

She’d been quiet all this time, the light shining over her glasses and covering her eyes. Lance tugged harder on his hair, flinching when Keith screamed again. “ _I can’t-I can’t, I can’t hear him like this, I can’t~”_ Lance broke off as he began to hyperventilate, every bone in his body screaming at him to run in that room and hold Keith close.

The minutes grew longer and longer, and Lance was on the verge of a breakdown, his heart breaking every time he heard the love of his life scream in pain and agony. “Lance, please, calm down.” Hunk said anxiously. Lance shook his head, “ _He means everything to me. Hearing him scream like that is breaking my heart. And now that I know this happened because he was protecting me, I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill that stupid, impulsive, hot-headed idiot.” _He said.

Almost an hour and a half passed, and Lance realized that Keith was no longer screaming.

“Something’s wrong. _Something’s wrong, it’s too quiet. I have to go in.”_ He said, and moved forward, but Hunk held his hands out, “Wait, Lance, you don’t know what happened~” He began, but Lance shook his head. “ _No. No, I have to see him. Something is wrong, let me go inside-! I need to go inside, Hunk-!”_ Lance began to shout, and finally moved past Hunk, only for Shiro to come out of the room. “Hey. Hey, it’s okay. They got the poison out of Keith. He’s unconscious, but he’ll wake up soon. He needs to stay here to recover from the blade wound.” He said.

Lance let out a sharp breath, and went past him. And there was Keith, small and vulnerable, face ghostly pale, but he was _breathing-_ Lance let out a whimper and ran to him, gently framing his face. “Oh _thank god. Thank god.”_ He choked, tears spilling down his cheeks again. He kissed his forehead, “ _You’re okay. You’re okay.”_ He murmured. “He called for you a lot.” Shiro spoke up softly, having followed him.

Hearing that made Lance let out a heartbroken noise, _because he promised he would never leave him, that he would always be there-_

“I’m so sorry…” Lance whispered to Keith, pained. It was quiet for a second before he lifted his head and looked at the alien that saved Keith, “How did you know about the poison?” He asked. “Because it comes from our planet. You are very lucky. If the poison stayed in him any longer, he would have died.” The alien said.

“Thank you for saving him.” Lance said softly. “Anything for the Paladins of Voltron. Now, I must go see our people, and figure out who will become our next leader.” The alien said before leaving. Hunk and Pidge came beside Lance, both worried. “Thank God he’s okay…” Hunk murmured. Lance nodded, still coming down from the verge of hysteria that he was about to fall off of.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this is long! I delivered. This is really soft. Also, yeah, Allura was a little racist here. She’s getting better though.

_One late night, Lance was watching the stars on the observation deck, letting out a long breath. “Lance?” Lance perked up at the sound of Keith’s voice, turning his head to see him walk in. Lance smiled, “Hey.” He said. “Hey. What are you doing here so late?” Keith asked, coming to sit beside him, wrapping a blanket around his cold shoulders. Lance smiled again in thanks as Keith sat beside him. “It’s quiet. I wanted to watch the stars.” Lance said._

_“Oh? I guess I’ll go, then.” Keith made to move, but Lance stopped him, trying to look annoyed. It didn’t work. Keith smiled at him, his indigo eyes soft and fond. “I wasn’t actually gonna leave.” He said amusingly. “You better not.” Lance said, shifting closer to him and cuddling him for warmth._

_“Did you come here ‘cause you miss home?” Keith asked gently after a second, concern in his voice._

_“I did at first. But you’re here now. You make me feel better.” Lance admitted. “I do? But I don’t do anything.” Keith sounded surprised. Lance laughed softly, “Like I said. You’re here. That’s enough for me.” He said fondly. Keith frowned, “I don’t want to just be here for you.” He said. He then grabbed his hand, “I want to make you a promise. One day, when this war is over, we will go home.” He said more quietly. Lance’s heart flipped wildly, “But you hate Earth. You’d do that for me?” He asked softly. _

_“Yes.” Keith said with no hesitation. Tears sprung to Lance’s eyes as his bottom lip quivered. “Lance?” Keith got alarmed, only to let out a surprised noise when Lance leapt forward to tightly embrace him, sniffling. “You’re the best.” Lance whispered. Keith embraced him back just as tightly, “If it means I get to follow you to the ends of the universe, so be it.” He whispered. Lance giggled, “When did you get so cheesy?” He asked, pulling away._

_Keith blushed, pouting._

_“You may have had an influence- Lance!” He began, only to shout when Lance bursted into laughter and leapt at him again, knocking them both down from the force as Lance tightly embraced him. Keith is laughing too, and it only makes Lance fall more in love with him. _

It’s dark on X-Æ when Lance notices that Keith is stirring. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, and he wasn’t. Keith was _waking._ Lance watched those galaxy eyes open, and fall on him. “Lance?” He whispered. Lance smiled so widely it hurt, _but he honestly couldn’t give one quiznack._ “Hi. Hi! Oh my gosh!” Lance said, and leapt forward to hug him. Keith groaned _,_ and Lance pulled away, “Sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?” He said frantically, checking his healing wound.

“I’m fine.” Keith gasped.

He then looked at Lance, and gave him a tired smile. _And Lance can’t even breathe._ “Hey Sharpshooter.” Keith whispered. Lance instantly bursted into happy tears, reaching out and framing his face, leaning in to pepper kisses all over. “Thank God, thank god, _thank god. You quiznacking terrified me. Don’t do that again, you stupid-reckless-impulsive-hotheaded-idiot_ , don’t you _dare do that again~”_ Lance said between kisses, pouring his relief and happiness into every kiss.

“I had to protect you. I couldn’t let Sendak hurt you.” Keith said softly. “That doesn’t mean _you_ take the hit.” Lance said, pulling away. “I wasn’t _trying_ to take the hit. I was trying to keep Sendak away from you.” Keith said. Lance reached out to brush his cheek, “You saved me. I owe you my life.” He whispered. _It’s not like Keith didn’t own his life already, but he wanted him to know._

“We’ll go back to the Castle early tomorrow. We’ll get you into a pod so you can recover faster. For now, rest.” Lance then said.

Keith nodded, and then frowned. “Is everyone else okay?” He asked suddenly. “Yes. They were really worried about you, but they’re okay now.” Lance said. He then reached out to brush a stray strand of his hair away. “Don’t worry. Just sleep.” He said more softly. Keith nodded, and Lance was pretty sure he heard him make a low rumble that…almost sounded like a purr. _Wait, no._ It _was_ a purr.

Lance laughed a little, continuing to brush his fingers through Keith’s hair. _He remembered the day Keith revealed to the team that he was half-Galra. It was after he’d gone to the Marmora base with Shiro, and Lance remembered feeling scared and anxious for their-for Keith’s-safety, especially after the Red Lion went crazy. Not only did Keith come back looking battered, he also looked ashamed. _

_Lance remembered that Allura had furiously accused Keith of being a traitor and a spy, and that had greatly upset Keith. Coran took him to get him into a pod, especially to get him away from Allura._

_Lance did not like what she said. “Allura, how can you say that to him? He’s a part of us, Keith would never be a traitor.” He said. “His kind is the reason why my father is dead. Why my people are dead.” Allura said angrily before walking away. Lance wasted no time in going after Keith, to make sure he was okay. Coran was checking his vitals when Lance went into the pod room. “Coran? How is he?” He asked, feeling worried._

_“Keith is strong, my boy. He has a few serious injuries, but he’ll be out in a few vargas!” Coran said cheerfully. Lance looked at Keith and crossed his arms, feeling a sudden surge to protect him. “I know Allura was harsh on him.” Coran suddenly began. Lance was not expecting to feel angry, but here he was now, because it wasn’t fair. “She shouldn’t have said that to him. Keith is part of our team. He would never betray us. I know Allura is still getting to know us all, but we’re all friends.” Lance said. It’s not fair to Keith, it’s not fair. He talked to Lance about feeling isolated among the team, and Lance was struck by how similar they were. Allura made him feel worse by saying all to him. “I know. But remember what happened. Allura was there when Zarkon attacked Altea. Her father put her to sleep, and she woke up to find him gone. She has a trauma she can never forget. With what we now know about the Blade of Marmora, Allura needs time to be okay with who they are, as well as Keith. It won’t be easy, but we must be patient with her.” Coran said gently. _

_Lance didn’t feel any better about what Allura said, though._

_“What about you? How do you feel about Keith being half-Galra?” He then asked. “You have all become very precious to me these past few decaphoebes. I know Keith is a good boy. He is not a traitor.” Coran said. Lance nodded, feeling a little better at that. “You can relax. Keith will be all right.” Coran then said. “Um…I think I want to stay. Just for a little longer.” Lance said. “You’re worried about him.” Coran noted._

_“Well, we couldn’t really see or hear anything that was going on in the base. Red only goes crazy when Keith is in danger. So when Red started attacking the Marmora base, I just…knew it had to be bad. And then…to see Keith come back looking pretty beat up…” Lance trailed off, frowning. “Yes, he did give us quite a scare. And so did Shiro.” Coran had a tone in his voice that Lance didn’t recognize, so it went right over him._

_“Yeah. But Shiro came back unhurt.” Lance said._

_Coran only laughed, going back to his tablet. Lance shrugged it off, going to watch Keith. “Get better fast, buddy. I need to talk to you.” He said quietly. Luckily, Keith came out just a few hours later, looking like he’d never been hurt. The team was there to see him, too. “Keith. Hey, how are you feeling?” Lance came to support him, happy to see him awake. “Uh…weird, but I’m okay.” Keith said. “Hey Keith. We’re glad to see you okay. Lance, will you take him to his room to rest?” Shiro said. Lance nodded, and did exactly that. “C’mon.” He said to Keith._

_While they walked through the halls, it was silent. “Allura hates me now.” Keith spoke up quietly after a few seconds. “Don’t listen to what she said. You’re not a traitor.” Lance said. “How do you know?” Keith asked. Lance looked at him, and saw that guarded look in those purple eyes that he’s begun to recognize._

_Lance took him to his room, and made him sit before sitting beside him._

_“I know that we had a rough beginning. But we’re friends. We’re partners. We watch each other’s backs, right? I care about you. I trust you. I know you’re not a traitor or a spy. You’re half-Galra, so what? You’re not bad. You’re still Keith. Nothing about you has changed. If anything, it’s cool that you’re half-Galra. What have you found out?” Lance said. _

_Keith was silent for a few seconds before he shook his head, “Um…I don’t know yet.” He said, sounding very confused. “Okay. You’ll figure it out. Look, I’m not going to let Allura hurt you or say anything to you. I’m staying by your side. All right?” Lance said. “You…don’t hate me?” Keith asked softly. And Lance saw…fear in those eyes. He didn’t know why Keith seemed scared. But he leaned forward and pulled him close, hugging him tight. Keith made a small surprised noise._

_But then, a few seconds later, he hugged him back._

_Lance thought he heard a low rumble, but wasn’t sure what it was. “Thank you.” Keith whispered so softly._ Yeah. That was defensively a purr back then, and it was a purr now. And Lance was literally dying at the fact that _it was not only quiznacking adorable, but also because he now realized Keith purred when he was comforted._


	8. Chapter 8

Keith noticed that Lance was a lot more calmer now that they were back on the Castle. “Come on, _cariño._ Let’s get you into a pod.” Lance murmured gently, helping him through the halls. Keith tilted his head, “ _Cariño?”_ He asked hesitantly, confused. Lance smiled, “Close enough. It’s a term of endearment.” He said. Keith thought for a second, “…Can you teach me?” He asked. Lance looked absolutely delighted, “Wait you want me to teach you Spanish? Really?” He asked, his eyes lighting up.

Keith’s heart fluttered wildly as warmth seeped into his chest. “Yeah. I want to learn.” He said, his cheeks turning red. Lance said something in Spanish, laughing. “Yeah. When you come out of the pod, I can teach you.” He said, nodding. They get to the pod room, but Lance doesn’t let him go yet. “There was something you said you needed to tell me. When you were poisoned. Do you remember saying that?” Lance said softly.

Keith’s eyes widened, and his heart began to race, but he nodded anyway.

“Do you remember what you needed to say?” Lance asked. Keith felt his cheeks turning even redder, “…Yes.” He said. Lance nodded, “Okay. Good. Because it sounded important, and I wasn’t going to let you say it like a goodbye while you were poisoned. Now that you’re safe from danger, we can talk about it when the time is right. Yeah?” He said.

Keith nodded, now overwhelmed. Lance smiled at him softly, and leaned in to kiss his cheek, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.” He murmured. And it’s those words-which Lance makes sure he hears a lot of the time- that make Keith feel…really nice. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s you and I now, remember?” Keith said softly. Lance smiled widely at this, his blue eyes glittering.

“Yeah. You and me.” He then said as softly, nodding

He kissed his cheek again, “Go. I’ll be waiting for you.” He said. Keith let him lead him into the pod, and the last thing he sees is those blue eyes. It doesn’t take long for him to come out, only an hour and so. Keith stumbled out like he had sea legs, and Lance caught him. “Whoa there. Wouldn’t want that pretty face getting ruined, now, would we?” He said. Keith blushed, and heard Pidge made a (teasing) gagging noise. He looked to see her, as well as the others, in the pod room.

“They came to see you.” Lance explained. “How do you feel, Keith?” Shiro asked. “Good.” Keith said. “Great. It’s good to have you back on your feet. We were so worried.” Shiro said. “You should get out of your suit, man. It looks pretty…torn up, you know?” Hunk spoke up. “Nothing a little threading can’t fix!” Coran spoke up cheerfully, and Keith startled when he popped up, letting out a high-pitched that definitely was not human, holding onto Lance to steady himself.

It was silent for 5 seconds.

“…What was that noise?” Pidge asked. “That was Keith. Sometimes when he gets stressed or startled, his Galra side kicks in.” Lance said, calming Keith down. “Got a problem with that?” He then asked, a smile on his face, but clearly ready to protect his boyfriend. “No? Great. Come on, Keith. You need to change.” Lance then said, taking his wrist and pulling him along. Keith let him, wondering what just happened.

“I know the team is okay with you being half _-_ Galra. _Has_ been okay for weeks. But I made a promise to you, and I’m going to keep it no matter what.” Lance spoke up quietly. He led Keith to his room, but didn’t go in. “Change. I’ll wait.” He said. Keith nodded, and went in. He came back out a few minutes later in his normal clothes (minus his red jacket), holding his Paladin armour. “I should get this to Coran.” He said. Once again, though, Coran popped up out of nowhere, startling Keith.

“I will take these from you!” Coran said as he took the armour, and disappeared.

“Jesus Christ, he scared me. Come on, come inside before he pops up again.” Keith muttered, grabbing Lance’s hand and pulling him into his room, the door sliding closed behind them. Lance laughed, “He actually kinda scared me too.” He said. “I wonder how he pops up…” Keith said. “And where…” Lance said. The two looked at each other, and both shuddered as they laughed. “I don’t think we _should_ know.” Lance said.

Keith saw him catch something, and head further into his room, to the wall beside his bed. “Hey! You kept the picture I took of us at that ball we had!” Lance said in delight. Keith looked at the picture he taped at the wall, and smiled at it. “Yeah.” He said. Lance took the picture in his hands, “You said you were gonna burn it.” He said. Keith blushed in embarrassment, “I…didn’t mean it. I was bad at telling my feelings, remember?” He said. He then cleared his throat, his cheeks reddening, “Speaking of…telling things…” he began, but Lance quickly came to him and stopped him.

“Ah! No! No, no, no, no, no! I didn’t say we were gonna talk about this today, you _just_ came out of the pod. You _must_ be exhausted. Come on. Into bed.” Lance said.

Keith frowned, “But~” He began, but Lance cut him off with some words in Spanish, “Shh. Bed. Now.” He then said in English. Keith obeyed, crossing his arms. “Happy?” He asked. Lance smiled, “Very.” He said, then climbed in beside him. Keith rolled his eyes amusingly when Lance tugged him in, making him curl up against him.

Keith rested his head on Lance’s chest, hearing his heart beat. He felt Lance run his fingers through his hair, and let out a low purr of content, instantly relaxing at his gentle touch. It didn’t take long for them both to fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t talk to Keith in the morning, he doesn’t like you.

Keith looked really peaceful when he slept. Lance remembered the first night he got Keith to sleep in his room, just a few days after they started dating. Keith was a little nervous, but Lance found he was a cuddler, and it was _so cute._ Keith made him swear not to say anything about it, though. The best thing about that first day was that when Lance woke in the morning, he got to see just how calm Keith was in his sleep. _And also so…so beautiful._ He was currently asleep now, and Lance couldn’t take how handsome he looked.

He reached out to gently run his fingers through Keith’s raven hair, just because he could. Keith stirred, making a low humming noise. Lance listened closely, and there it was. That low purring that he loved to hear. Lance continued to brush his fingers through his dark hair, listening to his soft breaths. A few minutes later, Keith began to move more, and Lance realized he was waking up.

Keith grumbled sleepily, no longer purring, rubbing his eyes.

Lance laughed softly when Keith turned up his head, his galaxy eyes open. “Hey, Samurai. Sleep well?” Lance asked fondly. Keith grumbled again and buried his face into Lance’s neck, “‘S too early.” He mumbled sleepily. His breaths tickled Lance, but he didn’t dare to move, not wanting to make an adorably grumpy Keith even _more_ grumpy. Lance only laughed and brushed his fingers through his hair again, “Easy, hotshot.” He murmured amusingly.

They stayed like that for almost 10 minutes before Lance finally nudged Keith.

“Hey. C’mon, the team must be up by now. Let’s get some breakfast.” He said. It took him 5 minutes to pry Keith off him, and Keith was _not_ happy about it, pouting at him. He stayed glued to his side anyway when they went to join the others, rubbing his eyes and grumbling. Lance waved off the team’s questions about Keith when they sat at the dining table, “He’s fine. Just tired.” He said.

After breakfast, Keith still stays stuck to his side, only talking to _him._ Lance doesn’t mind, but he’s a little concerned. “You’ve been stuck to my side all day, only talking to me. Something up, _cariño?_ ” He asked softly. Keith shook his head, “No. Just wanna stay beside you. I don’t like anyone else right now.” He murmured. Lance blushed darkly, his heart fluttering wildly. _Keith just wanted to stay beside him. Keith just wanted to stay beside him._

Lance was going to have a heart attack, and it was all because Keith wanted to just stay beside him.

_Rest In Peace, Lance McClain._ Keith was way too honest in the morning. To keep himself from combusting, Lance quietly begins teaching Keith Spanish, starting off with basic words. Keith was doing good for a first start, only having small struggles in pronunciation. He perked up more when they got to the word “ _abuela”_. “I’ve heard you say that before. Wait, I remember what that means. Grandma.” Keith said. Lance grinned widely at this, “Hey, that’s good! How did you know?” He said in surprise.

“You showed me a picture of your family once when you were feeling homesick. I remember you said _abuela,_ and you pointed to your grandma.” Keith said. The redness in Lance’s cheeks spread to his ears, which instantly began to burn. “Oh.” He whispered softly. _Oh man, he was gone for this boy. He was so gone. _“Lance. About what I needed to tell you…” Keith suddenly began softly, touching his hand, but a loud beeping made him cut off. “Paladins! To the observation deck!” Allura shouted over the Castle comms. Lance didn’t miss Keith’s disappointed look. “C’mon. Let’s go see what’s up.” Lance said, and they both ran off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter: Keith trying over and over again to tell Lance what he wanted to say. 
> 
> Lance won’t let him. 
> 
> Lance knows what he wants to say.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance share half a brain cell in this chapter. 
> 
> Dear God, someone help them.

So it began. The second time Keith tried to talk to Lance about what he needed to say, Lance got extremely nervous and swiftly changed the subject. The third time Keith tried, they were in a battle, and they both nearly got hit by Galra blasters. The next time he tried, it was on a more peaceful night, but Lance had fallen asleep because it was late. The next time-Keith started to lose count- Lance jumped when Keith touched him, shouted about Hunk needing his help, and basically ran away, and that kinda hurt.

Keith got extremely frustrated, thinking maybe it was his fault that he couldn’t say what he wanted to. “I don’t get it. What are you trying to tell him?” Shiro asked, rubbing his face. Keith had accidentally punched him while they were sparring, because he’d gotten too heated while venting. “What do you _think_ I’m trying to tell him?” Keith asked. He rubbed his forehead, “What is wrong with me? Am I coming on too strong? Every time I try to talk about it, something happens. Either we have to suit up, or I get distracted when he changes the subject. He thinks I don’t know that, but I noticed.” He asked, not understanding.

Shiro hummed, “It sounds like Lance is nervous.” He said.

Keith blinked, and turned to Shiro. “Nervous?” He asked. “Yeah. You said he changes the subject, right? How does he act whenever you bring it up?” Shiro said. Keith didn’t know why this was related to the problem, but he answered anyway. “He fidgets. He starts to stutter.” He said. Shiro nodded, “Yeah. Lance definitely sounds nervous.” He said. “Why is _he_ nervous?” Keith asked.

“He doesn’t know what you need to say. Maybe he panics ‘cause he thinks it’s bad.” Shiro said. Keith’s frustration faded, and he instantly understood. It all made sense. _Lance didn’t jump away from him on purpose._ “I could never say _anything_ bad to him. He means everything to me.” Keith murmured. “So then, go tell him that, right now.” Shiro said. Keith’s eyes widened, and he nodded and took off.

Meanwhile, Lance was pacing in the hangar bay while Hunk worked on Yellow.

“Oh, Hunk, I feel so bad! I ran away from him like an idiot while he was trying to talk to me! He looked so hurt!” Lance said, tugging on his hair.

“Why would you do that?” Hunk asked. “Because he wants to tell me something.” Lance said. He then turned dark red, “And I know what he wants to say.” He whispered. “And I can’t let him. I can’t let him, he will _not_ say it first. I’ve been dying to say it to him for weeks, _no way._ ” He then said. “What do you want to say to him, anyway?” Hunk asked. Lance whirled around, “What do you _think_ I want to say to him?” He asked, because it was so obvious.

Hunk smiled and shook his head, “You’re being ridiculous, Lance.” He said amusingly. “I am not! You know how romantic I am! I will never forgive myself if I let Keith say it!” Lance said. “Let me say what?” Keith’s voice made Lance perk up, and he turned to see Keith leaning against the door, crossing his arms. “Keith! Hey, Samurai. How long have you been standing there?” Lance said. Keith got off the door, “Long enough.” He said before walking away.

Something in Lance crashed as he realized what he must’ve sounded like to Keith.

“Keith? Keith! Wait!” Lance said, and ran after him. Luckily, he caught him, and grabbed his hand. “Hey, hey, wait! Keith, it’s not what you think it was.” He said frantically. Keith turned and tried to pull away, but Lance kept his hold. “Let go.” Keith said quietly, and Lance saw his eyes flash yellow. “No.” He said. He knew Keith’s eyes flashed yellow when he was distressed. Keith tugged harder, “Let me go _.”_ He said, trying to sound angry.

“I’m not letting you leave.” Lance said. Keith only got more distressed, tugging again, _“Lance, I said let me go.” _His voice became sharp, but Lance shook his head, “Keith, please. Please, I didn’t say what you think I did.” He said softly, desperate. “ _You said you wouldn’t forgive yourself if I say what I needed to! You’ve been avoiding it! You change the subject like I don’t realize it!_ ” Keith suddenly shouted fiercely.

He then let out a sharp breath, and Lance only felt worse when he saw tears spilling down Keith’s cheeks.

_Keith, Lance’s heart and soul, was crying._ “ _I would never, ever say anything bad to you. I would never hurt you. You mean everything to me.”_ Keith whispered. Now _Lance_ doesn’t understand. “I’ve been trying to tell you for two days. I _love_ you.” Keith then said desperately. “You thought I didn’t want you to say that to me? I knew what you’ve been wanting to say.” Lance said. He then came closer to him, “I’ve been trying to say it first. _That’s_ what I meant. That’s why I kept changing the subject.” He said softly. Keith’s eyes were back to normal, and Lance reached out to brush away his tears before leaning in to kiss him, “I love you too.” He whispered.

He then laughed, “God, we’re both so stupid.” He said softly. “You started it.” Keith murmured. “Fine. You got to confess first. Happy?” Lance asked. Keith began to smile, and Lance instantly shook his head. “That’s not fair. _That’s not fair, you can’t just- you can’t just do that~_” He began, and Keith started laughing as Lance peppered his face with affectionate kisses.

_A week earlier_

_Attempt #2_

Lance was busy with cleaning Blue, Keith keeping him company. Lance chattered endlessly about his family, and Keith fondly listened. Lance also taught him more words in Spanish while at it. It got silent after for a few seconds before Keith spoke up. “Hey Lance?” He said. “What’s up?” Lance asked as he motioned for Blue to move her head down for him to clean her face.

“I was trying to talk to you about something yesterday, but I got interrupted because we had to suit up.” Keith began. Lance turned to him at this, not remembering at first. “Well, it’s been quiet all day today, thankfully. What’s up?” Lance said. “It’s about what I’ve been wanting to tell you. When I got poisoned on that~” Keith began, and Lance’ breath hitched as he instantly remembered, and his heart leapt. Lance made a noise and turned to Blue, “Come down here, young lady!” He said, when he saw that Blue hadn’t set down her head. Blue rumbled amusingly and obeyed as Lance’s face heated up.

“Huh. Blue usually listens to you when you tell her to do something.” Keith said.

Lance let out a nervous laugh, his heart racing. “Y-yeah. She’s just being silly, I guess.” He said. Luckily, Keith didn’t go back to what he was saying. Lance had to force his hands to lessen their shaking as he started cleaning Blue’s face. “All right, her face is gonna take hours. I’m coming to help you.” Keith said, and came to join him.

_Attempt #3_

They were fighting a group of Galra soldiers. “Hey, Lance?” Keith’s voice came through their private comms. “What’s up?” Lance asked as he fired his ice ray, freezing the Galra jets. “I’ve been trying to tell you something~” Keith began, and Lance saw one of the Galra ships firing up their blaster. “Watch out!” Lance said, and made Blue shoot forward to get Red out of the shot, barely missing a blast from another jet himself. “You okay?” Lance asked frantically. “Yeah. You?” Keith asked. “Yeah. Let’s not keep our Lions in one place.” Lance said. “I hear you.” Keith said.

_Attempt #_ _4_

It was late, and the day had been nice and quiet. Lance was slowly dozing off due to Keith’s gentle carding through his hair, humming in content. “Lance?” Keith murmured. “Hm?” Lance hummed. “Listen. I wanted to talk to you about something really important.” Keith said. Lance cuddled even closer to him, wanting more of his warmth, half-listening as he hummed again. “It’s about what I wanted to say…” Keith’s voice fades out as Lance-without meaning to-slips into darkness.

_Attempt #???_

Lance was in his own mind, sitting in the lounge. He heard the doors open, and looked up to see Keith come inside. “Hey Samurai!” Lance chirped, happy to see him. Keith smiled, “Hey.” He said back, and came to sit beside him. “What are you doing?” He asked curiously. “Nothing, really. I got bored and decided to start labelling the planets within the star system here.” Lance said.

Keith crossed his arms, “Interesting. How are you labelling them?” He asked. “By their sizes. Easy stuff.” Lance said. “Oh.” Keith said. He then cleared his throat, “Can we talk?” He suddenly asked. Lance’s heart leapt into his throat, but he nodded. “Sure. What’s up?” He said. “It’s about what I wanted to say to you on that planet…” Keith began, reaching out to touch his hand. _Lance didn’t mean to do it, he didn’t mean to._ He jumped away, blushing darkly. Hurt flashed across Keith’s face, and Lance hated himself for it.

“I-I just remembered. Hunk said he needed help cleaning Yellow. I’m just-gonna go help him.” Lance said, before running out of the lounge. _Idiot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, Kyra here!  
> I have a surprise fic coming up very soon! I think you’re all gonna love it!  
> I just need to finish this, then 2LL, and then I will work on setting up the details of the fic!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has “stop being mean to me or else you’ll make me fall in love with you” vibes
> 
> ALSO THIS IS SO SOFT OH MAN

Lance shouldn’t have taught Keith Spanish. He _really_ shouldn’t have. Now, whenever Keith got the chance, he’d sweetly flirt with him in Spanish-and English- and Lance was sure he was about to explode from how red he constantly was. For example, there was the first time where Lance was cleaning Blue again, this time on top of her head, and he vaguely heard the doors open. Lance lifted his head, and saw Keith watching him from below. “Oh. Hey.” Lance said, waving. Keith waved back, smiling, “ _Hola, hermoso. No caigas del cielo, ángel.”_ He said in perfect Spanish. Lance froze, and realized that Keith just flirted with him. _Keith. Just. Flirted. With him. He must be dreaming. _

“What~” Lance began, only to slip and fall off Blue. Luckily, it was a very short drop, but that didn’t matter to Lance. Lance was officially dead now. Covering his face, he turned blood red as he let out a high-pitched whine, hearing Keith gasp. “Are you okay?” He asked in English, sounding amused. _“ No.”_ Lance whined, currently unable to function. He was not able to process what Keith said to him.

He suddenly felt a gentle tug on his hand, and peeked to see Keith looking down at him fondly.

“C’mon. Up.” He said. “No, just leave me here to die.” Lance said. “Lance. You might have hurt yourself, let me see.” Keith said. Lance whined more before letting Keith pull him up. And he only turned even _redder_ at how gently Keith searched him, checking for any possible injuries. He looked satisfied a few moments later, and then smirked at him. “ _Ères lindo.”_ He said amusingly, fondly. Lance wanted to scream. “ _Stop, please.”_ He begged.

Keith didn’t stop. Every day, he would call him terms of endearment, and sweetly telling him he loves him in Spanish. Lance still can’t process what is happening, only that his entire face constantly becomes crimson. Finally, Lance has the opportunity to redeem himself. Keith had called him “ _cariño_ ” and winked at him, Lance darkly blushed and grabbed his wrist. “ _Escucha, guapetón. Será mejor que pares.”_ He said in Spanish. Keith smiled, “ _¿O qué?”_ He asked teasingly. Lance smiled back and leaned closer to him, “ _Te juro que me casaré contigo.”_ He whispered. _Keith shouldn’t know those words. Lance didn’t teach him yet._

_He’s won this one._

Keith blinked and tilted his head, “I don’t recognize that. What does that mean?” He said curiously. “Oh…nothing. Just some words. They’re not important.” Lance said slowly, pulling away. “Lance. Lance, what did you say?” Keith asked. Lance giggled and ran off. “Hey! Come back here!” Keith shouted, and ran after him.

They ran around the Castle for almost 10 minutes before Lance saw that Keith had taken a shortcut and stood in front of him. Lance shrieked, crashing into him. Keith used this to twist around, swiftly pinning Lance to the floor. “Ha! Caught you!” Keith said triumphantly. Lance was left breathless at how widely Keith was smiling at him, his indigo eyes glittering like a galaxy.

“I know what you said was something important. You looked serious. Tell me.” Keith said.

Lance is silent, because he remembers thinking those words with such a powerful realization only a few days ago, when he made a joke that had Keith laughing so loudly and unvontrollably, and the feeling only got stronger and stronger with every day after. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me, Lance.” Keith said, completely unaware.

Lance lets himself go limp under his hold as he falls under a lovesick haze. Keith drew back, noticing that he’d gone limp, “Giving up so easily? That’s not the Lance _I_ know.” He said. Lance continued to fall, warmth spreading through him. He slowly reached out to brush his fingers through Keith’s tuffy bangs. Keith now looked confused, “Lance?” He asked. Lance’s fingers drifted down to his cheek, gently brushing it, and Keith instantly lessened his hold on him, turning red at his gentle touch.

“Lance…why are you looking at me like that?” He asked, his voice lowering.

“You’re so beautiful.” Lance whispered. Keith’s eyes widened as he turned even redder, and he suddenly pulled away, getting off him. Keith _did_ get really flustered and shy whenever Lance complimented him. Lance pushed himself up, “Keith?” He asked softly, a little concerned. Keith made a noise, “Sorry. Sorry, that-that was stupid.” He muttered, and got up.

Lance quickly followed, grabbing his hand before he could walk away. “Hey.” He said. Keith looked at him, and only turned even redder. “It’s okay. Tell me.” Lance said softly. Keith made a noise, “It’s-it’s just~” he began, and trailed off for a second. “No one’s…no one’s ever said that to me before.” He then mumbled. “Said what? That you’re beautiful? Keith, your eyes hold literal galaxies in them.” Lance said.

Keith’s ears joined the rest of his red face, “ _Lance.”_

Lance smiled, “The day I finally get to say something back to you, and you can’t take it? I should have known about this earlier.” He teased fondly. “ _Stop._ ” Keith begged. Lance laughed, and stepped closer to him. “I love you.” He suddenly said softly. Keith’s embarrassed look was slowly replaced by affection.

“I love you too. But don’t think I forgot what you said. You _are_ gonna tell me what you said, one way or~” Keith began, only to cut off with a noise of surprise when Lance leaned in and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me so long


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I thought I’d never finish this chapter.

Something was up. Everyone was busy, and Lance was bored out of his quiznacking mind. Pidge and Hunk? Doing their technical stuff. Allura, Coran, and Shiro? In some odd conversation about snarfelhumps, and they all looked extremely invested in it. Actually…Not _everyone_ was busy. Lance found Keith in the lounge, reading a book, and he let out a loud whine as he dragged his feet toward him. Keith instantly looked up at him and smiled amusingly, setting his book aside to let Lance flop into his lap dramatically. Yeah, this happens.

“You all right, _cariño?_ ” Keith asked, running his fingers through his hair. Lance groaned, “No.” He said. “Who upset you? I’ll hurt them.” Keith said. “No one upset me. Everyone’s just _busy_ , and I’m _bored.”_ Lance said, lifting his head. “Oh?” Keith asked. “I just wanted to do something fun. It’s been such a peaceful day.” Lance said. He then looked to Keith in hope, “Since it’s just you and I, can we do something fun?” He asked.

He doesn’t expect Keith’s answer.

“Sorry, Sharpshooter…” Keith began, and desperation shot through Lance as he frantically shook his head, “ _No_ , not you too.” He pleaded, cutting him off. Keith gave him an apologetic look, “I’m sorry. I gotta go. I’ll see you in a bit, though.” He said as he stood, and then walked away. Lance instantly stood and took two steps forward, reaching out after him, wanting _desperately_ to call him back.

But Keith left, and Lance was now alone. _Did no one care?_ _Did no one remember that it was his birthday?_ Lance turned around and went to his and Keith’s shared room, his heart racing and his chest heavy. He sat in the bed, feeling upset.

And he’s especially upset with Keith.

_“Whenever you need me, I’ll always drop everything to be there for you. Nothing is more important than you.” _Keith had once said to him. And he _was_ there when Lance needed him. _But why not today?_ Lance stayed curled up in the bed for a long while, feeling lonely.

Just as he was about to doze off, he heard the door open, drawing him awake again. “There you are. I was looking for you, I got worried.” It was Keith, his voice low and soft. “Clearly.” Lance said. He heard Keith climb onto the bed, and slightly startled when he felt him touch his arm. “ _Cariño?_ What’s wrong?” Keith sounded worried. “Nothing.” Lance said. “Lance, I know you way too well. You’re upset about something. Tell me.” Keith said.

Lance wouldn’t answer.

“Will you come with me?” Keith suddenly asked. “No.” Lance said. “Please? There’s something I want to show you.” Keith said. “No, Keith. Just-stop.” Lance said. He suddenly felt Keith brush his fingers through his hair, and kissed his temple. “Please, Lance? It’ll cheer you up.” He said. “No.” Lance said. Keith took his hand and gently tugged on him, but Lance purposefully resisted, letting his weight keep him down. “Stop. St-stop.” He said, and now he’s starting to smile.

It shouldn’t be funny.

_It isn’t, it isn’t, but Lance is now smiling._ “I see you. I see you smiling, I’m making you laugh.” Keith said. “No, you’re not. No, you’re n-! _Keith!_ ” Lance started struggling to get away, but Keith tugged him closer with a dead-lock grip and started kissing his cheeks. Lance shrieked, instantly bursting into uncontrollable laughter. _“GAH!! Keith! St-stop! Stop, please-ahahaha! Stop!!”_ He gasped through his laughter, squirming against him.

“Not until you’re not upset anymore.” Keith said playfully, and attacked him again. “ _KEITH!_ _Está bien! Está bien, está bien!_ _”_ Lance shrieked, giggling. Keith finally pulled back, reaching out and gently brushing his cheeks. Lance pouted at him, “It’s not fair. You _know_ how to make me laugh.” He accused. He then pulled back and looked away, his cheeks heating up. “Not fair.” He mumbled again.

Keith laughed, and Lance’s heart wildly flipped at how affectionate he sounded. 

“Hey…” Keith suddenly said softly, hooking his fingers under Lance’s chin, making him look back at him. He then leaned in and kissed him before pulling back. “ _Te quiero mucho._ I would do _anything_ to make you happy.” He murmured, their foreheads resting together. Lance turned even redder, “ _Deja de see tan lindo, no es justo.”_ He whined.

Keith laughed, pulling away. “Come on. Come on, you need to see this.” He said, gently tugging his hand, making him get out of bed. Lance whined even louder, “I don’t want to.” He said. “You _have_ to. Come on.” Keith said, tugging him out of the room and through the halls. He then placed his hands over his eyes, and Lance squirmed against him. “Hey-why~” he began, but Keith cut him off. “Trust me.” He whispered in his ear. Lance nodded, and Keith led him forward.

Finally, at some point, Keith stopped him. 

“Stay here for a second.” He said quietly. Lance nodded again. After a few seconds, the lights turned on, showing the lounge. Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Allura, and Coran popped up out of nowhere, “Surprise! Happy birthday!” They all shouted. Lance gasped, “You…you guys remembered! But-! But you were all so busy-!” He said. “It was just an act so that you don’t get suspicious of anything. We were all meeting up to go over the plan to set everything up.” Pidge said.

“But-! But who..?” Lance began, but he knew exactly who. He looked at Keith, who smiled sweetly at him. And Lance instantly bursted into tears, running and leaping at him, throwing his arms around him. “You did all this for me?” Lance asked. “Yep. Happy birthday, _cariño.”_ Keith murmured fondly, holding him close.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, who promised no more angst:
> 
> Also me, writing this chapter: oop

Lance and Keith had an important mission. Scrounge up information on Zarkon’s targets on vulnerable planets. It was a regular Galra ship, they would only be dealing with sentries. Or so they thought. “Remember the plan, you two. In and out. Try not to be seen.” Shiro said on the comms. “You got it, Shiro.” Lance said. They made their way through the purple corridors, looking out for sentries and cameras. “I’m taking care of cameras. You guys should be fine.” Pidge spoke up suddenly. “Won’t the sentries know something’s up if they see static?” Keith asked.

“I’ll configure the cameras to feeds that I created specifically for these kinds of missions. They won’t notice a thing.” Pidge said. “I don’t even want to know how you did that.” Lance said. Pidge laughed. Keith looked down the corner, and saw two sentries patrolling the hall. He looked to Lance and silently gestured to him, and Lance nodded. He whistled, and Keith saw the sentries coming their way.

Keith signaled for Lance to wait.

_3…2…1…_ The two attacked the sentries, destroying them. “Good job. The control hub shouldn’t be too far. Keep going down this hall until it ends.” Pidge spoke up. “On it.” Lance said. Finally, not too long after, they reached the control room and got rid of the sentries watching over. “Okay. Let’s do this quick before they send reinforcements.” Lance said, plugging in a device that Pidge and Hunk made from scrap metal to download the information they needed.

Keith heard a noise, and looked around, tensing. “What is it?” Lance asked. “I thought I heard something.” Keith murmured, drawing his bayard as his Galra senses sharpened. He suddenly heard a low growl, and his instincts kicked in. “We’re not alone here.” He said lowly. Yellow eyes flashed in the shadows, “Well done, _mutt.”_ Keith growled, “Sendak.” He said. Sendak lunged forward, but Keith blocked him.

“Lance, keep working on getting the info!” He said, pushing the big Galra back and slicing his sword in a sharp arc.

Sendak dodged it, snarling. He raised his sword, but it was knocked away by a familiar bullet. Keith turned, seeing Lance with his rifle. “Watch out!” He shouted, just as Keith was sent flying back by Sendak. Keith gasped, his breath knocked out of him. “ _Keith!!”_ He heard Lance shout, and lifted his head just to see Lance attacking Sendak. Sendak sent him flying too, and made straight for the control. He destroyed the device, as well as the panel.

_“No!”_ Lance shouted, and Keith pushed himself up in time to see Sendak grab Lance by the neck with his metal arm, choking him. _Keith saw red._ He let out a snarl and ran forward. He sliced his sword across Sendak’s arm, causing him to drop Lance. Keith used Sendak’s distraction and attacked him with no mercy, fueled by red rage.

The glass of the window was shattered at some point, and Keith sent him flying through.

He ran to Lance, frantically checking him. “Are you okay?” He asked. Lance nodded, coughing. “We need to get out of here!” He rasped. Keith nodded and helped him up, just as Sendak bursted through the window again. “Go!” Keith pushed Lance, and they both ran through the door as the ship rumbled. “This ship is coming apart!” Lance shouted. “Keep going!” Keith said. “Lance, Keith! What’s happening l?” Shiro’s voice came crackling through the comms. Their helmets were cracked in the process of the fight. “Sendak’s here! He destroyed the info, and the ship’s falling apart!” Lance said. The ship rumbled again, more violently, and the two were sent to the floor. There were fires growing now. 

Keith quickly recovered and got up, raising his sword as Sendak came running. Sendak snarled, and Keith blocked the sharp swing of his sword. The ship rocketed again, and Keith lost his footing. He snarled when something sharp cut into his side as he stumbled. _“NO!! DONT YOU HURT HIM!!”_ Lance shouted, and Keith saw him run forward, turning his rifle into his sword. He sharply swung his sword, and the blade blinded the Galra’s remaining eye. Sendak roared, and Keith ran forward to protect Lance, but he was too late.

_Too late._

In his pain and rage, Sendak wildly flung his metal arm and sent Lance flying, roughly hitting his head on a metal object. **_“ LANCE!!” _**Keith screamed, and his sword was swinging with deadly intent. It ran right through Sendak’s exposed chest, and again, and again. Sendak fell with a thump, and Keith ran toward Lance’s unmoving figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha :,)

Keith knelt beside Lance as he coughed, shaking him. “Lance. Lance?” He said. No response. “Lance. _Lance.”_ He shook him again. Lance wasn’t moving. Keith shook his head, “No. _No, no, no, no, no, don’t do this. Don’t do this. Wake up. Wake up. We need to get out of here, the ship is in flames. Lance. Lance. Come on. Come on.” _Keith said. Fear began to slowly seep inside him as he coughed again. “Lance?” He whispered. The ship suddenly rumbled, and Keith instinctively held him close to protect him.

_“Wake up. Don’t do this. Don’t do this to me, don’t do this, don’t-don’t...Please. Please, **please.**_ ” Keith said urgently as the shaking grew. Whether it was from him or the ship, he couldn’t really care to tell. Lance _still_ wasn’t moving. “ ** _Lance. Lance, please. You promised. You promised, you promised. You promised you wouldn’t leave me, you promised._ _I know what you said. I know what you said, I know what you said to me that day. I’ve known since yesterday because Hunk couldn’t keep it from me anymore. You said you would marry me. You said you would marry me if I didn’t stop teasing you in Spanish,_ and I won’t stop because I accept. _I accept, I accept~_ ” **Keith broke off, letting out a low whimper as he held him even closer, tears spilling down his cheeks.

He remembers exactly how it went.

_It was just yesterday when Hunk told him, when Lance and Allura went off on a mission together. Keith did not take the placement too well earlier, despite the fact that Lance- from a long time ago- no longer had a crush on Allura. Shiro reasoned with Keith that the mission involved Red and Blue specifically. _

_Lance had pulled him aside just before he left, “You don’t like that Allura and I are going together.” He noted softly. Keith sighed, easily giving up, “Is it that obvious?” He asked quietly. Lance gave him a sweet smile, “You say a lot more than you think you do, cariño.” He said. “Don’t apologize. I understand why you don’t like it. I’ve felt the same way, honestly. Plus, Shiro usually puts us together.” He said. He then reached out to brush his cheek, “It’s been you and me since the day the Castle was haunted, and it will always be you and me. All right?” He then said more softly. _

_Keith nodded, more calm._

_Lance leaned in and kissed his cheek, “I love you.” He whispered. “I love you too.” Keith whispered back. “See you in a bit. Don’t miss me too much.” Lance said, backing away. Keith rolled his eyes fondly, “Oh, my heart aches with every step you take.” He said, fake swooning. Lance bursted into laughter, “Oh, you’re terrible! You’re absolutely terrible, Keith Kogane!” He said, and gave him a wave before heading into Red._

_Later, Keith was in the kitchen with Hunk. That was when he said it. “I know you’re worried about Lance and Allura, but you shouldn’t be. Lance literally only has eyes for you now.” Hunk spoke up. “We already talked about it, Hunk.” Keith said. “I mean, he literally swore he’d marry you in Spanish because he knew you wouldn’t understand what he said, so clearly, he loves you.” Hunk said. “Clearly.” Keith agreed. Then he blinked as realization began to set in._

_He straightened up, “Wait, wait…what?” He asked slowly, his heart racing._

_Hunk turned to him, and his eyes widened. “Ah, quiznack.” He said. “Wait. Wait, those words I didn’t understand… that’s what he meant?” Keith asked. Hunk shrieked, “Lance is gonna kill me! You weren’t supposed to know, I shouldn’t have said that! I’m not telling you anything else!” He said before running away. “W-come back here!” Keith ran after him. _

_When Lance and Allura came back, Keith was waiting in the hangar bay. Lance ran out of Red and toward him, tossing his helmet aside and throwing his arms around him. “Hi. I missed you.” He murmured, burying his face into Keith’s shoulder. Keith blushed furiously, hugging him back. “You were only gone for 2 hours.” He said quietly. “And it felt like forever.” Lance said, hugging him more tightly. Keith smiled to himself, fondly._

_-_

“ _Stop talking…head hurts…”_ Lance complained weakly, startling Keith.

He let out a shaky, breathy laugh, seeing Lance stir. “Hey. Hey, you’re awake. Come on. We gotta get out of here.” Keith said, wasting no time. He ran through the flaming corridors as he carried Lance, coughing from the smoke. He went into Red, who rumbled in alarm. “Not now. Go, he’s hurt.” Keith dismissed his worry. Red obeyed. Keith set Lance down slowly in the cockpit, taking off his helmet and checking him.

Lance whined, in pain.

“I know. I know, I know. But I gotta check for damage.” Keith comforted him gently. Luckily, he couldn’t find anything. “Okay. Okay, I’m done. You have a concussion from that hit. Sendak threw you pretty roughly.” He then said. “Where…where is he?” Lance asked slowly. “Gone with the explosion of the ship. After he threw you, I turned Galra and killed him. He won’t hurt us anymore.” Keith said.

“Are you okay?” Lance asked, sounding anxious. Keith coughed again, “I’m okay. Just a little battered. The cough will pass. Don’t worry about me, _cariño._ You’re more important right now.” He said. When they got back to the Castle, Keith made straight for the cyropods with Lance, ignoring the team’s questions until Lance was in a pod.

When he was, Coran checked the scans.

“Hmm…he may have a bit of memory loss…but other than that, he’ll be all right. He should be out in a few hours.” Coran said. Keith coughed again, and Coran looked at him. “You need to go in too, my boy. You’re injured, and you have smoke in your lungs.” He said. “But the others…” Keith began, but Coran cut him off. “They can wait. Your recovery comes first. Pod. Now.” He said. Surprised by the demand in Coran’s voice, Keith obeyed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, hating Voltron beyond the capability of verbal explanation:
> 
> Also me:....I miss it

Lance doesn’t remember most of his and Keith’s mission. When he came out of the pod, he was already feeling fuzzy, but Coran said that it was not related to why he couldn’t remember. “Coran, how long will it take for his memories to come back?” Keith asked. “It’s hard to know, my boy. The brain is a complicated thing. It’s better for him to not force the memories, and to let them come back naturally. Talking about the mission should help a bit.” Coran said.

Lance looked at Keith, who was frowning. He then turned to him, “How are you feeling?” He asked. “I’m okay. No permanent damage, right?” Lance said. Keith’s eyes visibly darkened at this, but he nodded. “Right.” He said. Lance noticed the reaction, and wondered what he was missing out on.

“Come on. You should rest.” Keith then said, taking his hand and gently tugging him along.

“Thanks, Coran.” The boys thanked the Altean before heading off. In their shared room, Lance turned to Keith. “Are you okay?” He asked softly, worried. “I’m fine.” Keith said. “Something happened on the mission. Something that you’re angry about. Will you tell me?” Lance said. “First, what do you remember? Go slow.” Keith said.

“Well, we got to that Galra ship. Our job was to get information on Zarkon’s planet targets. When we got to the control room, Sendak was there. He destroyed the data we were downloading.” Lance said. He then frowned, “After that…it’s fuzzy.” He said. “Okay. That’s okay. Do you remember Sendak choking you?” Keith said. Lance couldn’t remember that. He rubbed his forehead, “No.” He said, a little frustrated. “Easy, Sharpshooter. We’re taking this slow, remember? Don’t force it.” Keith said, reaching out to touch his cheek.

Lance instantly calmed down, pressing for more.

“Okay. Okay.” He said softly. Keith pulled away after a second and sat beside him on the bed. Lance turned to him, “Is Sendak gone?” He asked suddenly. Keith nodded, “Yes. After he hurt you, I killed him. When the ship exploded, it took him with it.” He said. Lance reached out and took his hand, and Keith looked at him. “I didn’t get to thank you. You saved me. I owe you my life.” Lance said softly.

Keith shook his head, “You don’t have to thank me.” He said. Lance rolled his eyes, “Just shush and take it.” He said, leaning in and kissing his cheek. Keith gives him a small smile at this, which was such a nice reward. He’d been tense ever since Lance came out of the pod. “All right, all right.” Keith said, pulling Lance close and kissing his cheek in return. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” He suddenly murmured, brushing his nose against Lance’s before pulling away. “Come on, you need to rest.” He said.

But after they both got into bed, and Lance fell asleep, that was when it happened.

He heard a noise and woke up in alarm, seeing Keith sitting up, gasping. Lance rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Keith?” He said softly. Keith looked at him, his eyes wide. “It’s okay. It was just a nightmare. It’s okay…” Lance said, pulling him close and embracing him. Keith held onto him tightly, shaking. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” He whispered. “What are you saying sorry for?” Lance asked, confused. “

“If I had just gotten to you in time…” Keith began, but Lance cut him off. “Hey, hey, don’t do that. You _saved_ my life. Things could have been a lot worse. And _you_ got badly hurt too.” He said, pulling back to look at him. “Sendak could have killed you.” Keith said quietly. “But he didn’t. I’m alive. And so are you.” Lance said. He then realized something, “That’s what your nightmare was about…wasn’t it?” He asked.

Keith stayed silent, but he nodded.

“Oh, Keith…” Lance said softly, bringing him in and tightly embracing him again. “I won’t let anyone else hurt you like that again. I can’t bear to lose you.” Keith murmured. “You won’t lose me.” Lance said softly. Keith only hugged him tighter at that, like his life depended on it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 chapters in one day? What sorcery-

_Two days ago- the day Lance told Hunk_

Lance wondered for a bit if he should tell Hunk. He was his childhood best friend, he could trust him with anything. But on he other hand, Hunk had trouble keeping exciting things to himself. He was watching Hunk repair Yellow when he heard the doors open. “Lance?” He instantly perked up at Keith’s voice, seeing him at the doors. “Hey! What’s up?” Lance chirped, standing and going to him, happy to see him.

“I was looking for you. Pidge told me you’d be here.” Keith said. “Yep. Just hanging here with Hunk. Join me?” Lance said, reaching out and gently tugging on his hand. Keith smiled, “Later, _cariño._ Shiro’s waiting for me to join him on the training deck. Have fun without me.” He said. “Okay. But you _will_ come back, right?” Lance said. Keith nodded, “I will.” He promised. He then noticed something, and gestured to Lance’s face. “You got something on your cheek.” He said.

Lance frowned in confusion, and reached up to touch his cheek.

“What? Where?” He asked. Keith leaned in and kissed his cheek, startling him. Keith laughed softly, “That. See you later, _cariño.”_ He said fondly before walking away. Lance unconsciously reached up to touch his flushed cheeks, and he fell into a lovesick haze as he widely smiled. He went back to Hunk a second later, who laughed. “I guess I don’t have to ask how you and Keith are doing.” He said teasingly. Lance flopped to the floor, “I’m gonna marry that boy, Hunk.” He murmured. “Yeah. Wait. Wait, _what?”_ Hunk said.

Lance lifted his head, and he giggled. “I mean it, Hunk. I realized it not too long ago when I made a joke, and he started laughing so hard. It just-set off the realization that I wanted to make him laugh like that for the rest of my life. I even swore to him a few days later that I would propose to him in Spanish if he didn’t stop complimenting me, and he doesn’t even know what I meant.” He said. “That’s great, Lance.” Hunk said. Lance realized something, and sat up more, “You _will_ keep this to yourself, won’t you? I don’t want him to know yet.” He said. Hunk made an anxious noise, and Lance’s eyes widened, “ _Hunk. If you tell him anything, I swear to God…He’s not supposed to know yet.”_ He warned.

“Lance! You know how Keith gets! He’ll make me tell him! And if I don’t, he’ll all get pouty and huff-y! And I can’t handle when he does that!” Hunk whined.

“ _Resist it,_ man.” Lance said. “It’s not like that works for _you_ whenever he does it!” Hunk said. “This isn’t the same thing! This is _serious!_ Hunk, please, man. Promise me you won’t tell him. _Promise_ me.” Lance said. Hunk looked distressed at this, “Okay. Okay, I promise. I can totally handle a pouty Keith. _Totally.”_ He said finally. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunk’s fear and weakness: Pouty Keith
> 
> I mean, hey, I wouldn’t be able to resist that either. It’s like... legit illegal for Keith to pout


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart

Keith made Lance sit in the lounge, “Okay…before we begin, how are you feeling?” He said. “I’m okay.” Lance said. “No headaches? No dizziness, no nausea?” Keith asked, going through the list of concussion symptoms Coran told him to watch out for. “No pain when you look into the lights?” He added. Lance shook his head, “None of that. The pod healed me.” He said. “Well, the head is a complex thing. I’m just making sure.” Keith said.

“Got it, Doctor.” Lance said teasingly. Keith rolled his eyes in amusement, taking his hand. “Look, I’m gonna go slow, okay? If anything I say sounds familiar, or you remember something, you tell me. If your head starts to hurt, I’ll stop. All right?” He then said more softly. Lance nodded, “Okay.” He said. “Tell me again what you remember last.” Keith said. “Sendak destroying the data.” Lance said. Keith nodded, “Okay. When that happened, you attacked him. I got up and saw him choking you. I got him to drop you, and I sent him out the window.” He began.

He stopped to look at Lance, who was rubbing his neck.

“I…I remember him choking me. Faintly.” He said suddenly. Keith nodded, “Do you want me to keep going?” He asked. “Yes. Yes, I want to know what happened.” Lance said. “Okay. When I went to check on you, Sendak came back. The ship started falling apart. Our helmets were cracked in the fight, so when Shiro asked us where we were, he wasn’t really getting through to us. We were running to get out, and when the ship shook, we both lost our footing.” He said.

Lance suddenly made a noise, which alarmed Keith.

“Lance?” He said. Lance reached out and touched his side, letting out a sharp breath. “Sendak followed us. When you lost your footing again, he…he cut you.” Lance said, his voice strained. _He remembered_. “I’m okay. I’m okay, it didn’t scar. Easy.” Keith said gently, trying to calm him. “He _hurt_ you.” Lance’s voice suddenly went high-pitched. “Shh, shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down, _cariño._ It’s all right.” Keith said soothingly, reaching out to touch his cheeks.

“You came to protect me. You blinded Sendak in his other eye with your sword.” He said. “I think that’s enough for today. C’mere.” He then said more gently, pulling him in to embrace him. He heard Lance let out a breath, “I wouldn’t have let him live if he didn’t knock me out. _I wouldn’t have._ ” He whispered. “I know.” Keith said.

Lance stayed close to his side after that, still affected by what he remembered.

Tonight was a night to wind down, the Paladins grabbing pillows and setting up an area in the lounge. “Please don’t pick any Altean movies. Last time when we watched _Snarfelhum_ p, it traumatized me forever.” Pidge spoke up. “None of you have appreciation for the classics! A true loss.” Coran said dramatically. They all decided on a Earth movie, turned off the lights, and settled in.

At some point, Keith noticed the others falling asleep, and turned to Lance. “Hey…you wanna get out of here?” He whispered. Lance looked at him in surprise, “Hm? And go where?” He asked curiously. “To watch the stars. Maybe we can catch a comet again.” Keith said. Lance perked up at this, his eyes brightening. He nodded eagerly. They quietly slipped away, taking one of the blankets with them. In the observation deck, they sat together as close as possible under the blanket, watching the stars.

“Oh, there’s a comet! Look at how bright it is!” Lance said as he pointed, and Keith looked, seeing the comet slowly sail by.

He smiled, “Told you.” He said. Lance laughed slightly. But after some time, they too fell asleep curled up together in a little crook, peacefully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting there...I promise👀


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNO reverse!

When Lance woke in the early “morning”, all he knew was that he was wrapped up in something warm, making him feel safe and secure. He sleepily sighed in content, rubbing his eyes. He then realized that the thing making him feel warm and safe was Keith, who had his arms protectively wrapped around him. Lance looked around, and snorted in laughter when he realized they had fallen asleep on the observation deck, in a little crook.

He then turned back to Keith and craned his head to gently kiss his cheek. _“Cariño._ Wake up, we fell asleep on the observation deck.” Lance said softly. Keith shifted, but didn’t wake. “Keith. _Corazon._ Come on, we should go to our room. Your back will probably be stiff later on.” Lance said. He kissed his cheek again, and Keith stirred this time.

“Stop…” he mumbled sleepily. Lance laughed and kissed his cheek again, “ _Mi amor, despierta.”_ He said playfully, leaning in and gently nuzzling him.

He heard Keith let out a low purr in response, nuzzling him back.

When Lance pulled away a second later, Keith made a low noise in protest, which made him smile as he stood slightly. “Oh, _come on_. C’mere.” He said teasingly, reaching down. Keith woke up more at this, “What-what are you-hey!” He let out a shout of surprise when Lance pulled him into his arms and picked him up, cradling him close. “Lance! Put me down!” Keith struggled against him slightly. “No way. You did it for me once. Now I get to do it for you.” Lance said. Keith turned crimson red, groaning as he hid his face in his hands. “ _Lance.”_

Lance laughed amusingly, carrying him back to their room. He set Keith on their bed, crossing his arms in amusement. It took Keith a few seconds to finally show his face, lifting a finger to point at him. _“Lance…Don’t do that again.”_ He said, sounding strangled. Lance giggled and shook his head, “You’re so dramatic. I swept you off your feet, it’s not like I haven’t done it before.” He said fondly. “ _Y lo volveré a hacer cuando me case contigo.”_ He then said. Keith looked at him at this, oddly silent for a few seconds.

“You still won’t tell me what that means?” He then asked.

Lance got confused by this, but brushed it away. “Nope. Come on. Let’s sleep.” He said. It’s when they fall asleep that Lance gets a piece of his memory back, though. _He remembers screaming in rage after seeing Keith get sliced by Sendak’s sword. He remembers running forward and blinding his only other eye._ Lance gasped and woke up, panting. “Lance?” He heard Keith wake as well, and saw him sit up, touching his arm in alarm.

“I…I remembered something. When Sendak hurt you…I blinded him.” Lance said, calming down. Keith nodded, “Yes. In his pain, he sent you flying, and you hit your head…hard.” He said. Lance took a deep breath, “When I knocked out…what happened?” He asked. Keith got a haunted look in his purple eyes, and he rubbed his forehead. “I killed Sendak in a rage. I ran to you, and tried to wake you up. But you didn’t, not for a while. I…I thought I lost you. The ship was in flames and collapsing, and I could only focus on you.” He said.

Lance remembered that he could vaguely hear Keith’s grief-stricken voice as he woke up, though his voice had made his head hurt.

“ _You promised, you promised. You promised you would never leave me.” _Keith sighed, “But luckily, you finally woke up, and we got out of there.” He said. Lance reached out to brush his cheek, “I’m so sorry. You must have been so terrified. And you had to keep me awake in Red, while you were injured too…” he whispered. Keith took his hand, “Hey. Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” He said. “You’re alive, and you’re okay. That’s all that matters.” He then said more softly. “And Sendak is gone.” Lance said. Keith nodded, “And Sendak is gone.” He said in agreement.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um...I’m back?

Today, Team Voltron is toasting their big success with their ally, Lotor. Zarkon is dead, finally. “A toast, to our alliance, and to you, Paladins!” Lotor said, lifting his glass. The team followed, cheering. Lance vaguely remembered the last time he tried Nunvil, and braced himself for the horrible taste. Surprisingly, the Altean liquid was fine this time, maybe because of Hunk. Lance saw Keith looking at him in surprise, and he laughed. “It’s actually good. Try it.” He said. Keith grimaced, and Lance knew he had a bad experience with the drink too.

Lance held his glass out, “I’m not lying, I swear. Try it.” He said. Keith hesitantly took the glass, and took a sip. His eyes widened after a second, and Lance laughed. “It tastes good, right?” He asked. “Bless Hunk’s hands.” Keith said, nodding. “Bless Hunk’s hands.” Lance echoed in agreement, also nodding.

Allura and Coran should have warned the team that for humans, Nunvil was like drinking alcohol, but also not like alcohol.

It was like, the much safer version of alcohol. It was also extremely effective after just 2 glasses. Even Pidge was allowed to try a glass just for the occasion, and was already affected. She and Hunk were reenacting the battle with Zarkon, while intoxicated. Shiro joined in, also having fun, while Allura, Lotor, and Coran watched and laughed. Keith and Lance, however, were in their own world, their voices low and soft. They were sitting extremely close together, almost on top of each other, their ankles linked. Keith was twirling a strand of Lance’s curly hair between his fingers, listening as Lance recalled a memory of being at Varadero Beach with his siblings

“~And we just ran into the water.” Lance said. “ _You ran in?_ But it was the middle of winter.” Keith said. “Yep. My mama was so mad at us, but it was Marco’s fault. He dared me. And I don’t back down from dares.” Lance said. “Didn’t you get sick?” Keith asked. “Yep. Mama grounded us for _weeks_ after that. We were lucky we didn’t get a bad case of pneumonia.” Lance said, laughing. Keith laughed, shaking his head.

“Oh Keith, you would _love_ it in Cuba. It’s always so nice and warm.” He then said, leaning closer and nuzzling his cheek.

“ _Cuando algún día nos vayamos a casa, ¿vas a venir conmigo? ¿Para conocer a mi familia?”_ He then whispered in Spanish. Keith let out a loud, affectionate purr, nuzzling him back. “ _Sí. Eso me gustaría.”_ He whispered. Lance looked delighted at that answer, and peppered happy kisses all over his cheeks, making Keith burst into quiet giggles as he blushed a dark red.

He instantly fell into a lovestruck haze, content. After that, things sort of became a blur. The next morning, Keith can only remember hazy bits of a quiet conversation that he had with Lance. Words like, “ _just between you and me”_ and _“forever”_ bounced around his thoughts, among others that were too fuzzy. He thought that maybe if he woke himself up by training, he would remember, so he did that. It was too early for this, probably, and Lance would most likely wake soon and look for him, but he just wanted something to quickly wake himself up.

Keith drew his bayard, his sword materializing as he rolled his neck.

The Gladiator dropped down, and Keith raised his sword. He got in at least 10 minutes. 10 minutes before he vaguely heard the door opening. He finished with one final, deadly strike to the Gladiator’s center, making it vanish. He suddenly heard clapping, making him turn. He brightened when he realized that it was Lance, who was walking onto the deck while yawning. Keith instantly realized that Lance had woken and went to look for him, which made him feel bad. He went to him, “Hey. Why’d you wake up? I was coming back.” He said.

“You know that I can always sense when you leave. I wanted to look for you.” Lance said. Keith shook his head, “I was about to come back.” He said. Lance reached out and brushed a strand of his hair away from his face, “But I missed you.” He said. Keith sighed, “We are in the same Castle, Lance. I didn’t go anywhere.” He said amusingly. “I know. But I still missed you.” Lance said. Keith shook his head fondly and leaned toward him, gently kissing his cheek. “ _All right, I missed you too. Come on, cariño.”_ He said softly in Spanish, taking his hands and leading him out of the deck.

They went to their shared room, where Keith reached out to brush Lance’s cheek.

“You should go back to sleep.” He said. But he then pulled away when he noticed that Lance seemed distracted by something. He reached out to Keith’s chest, “How did you get this?” He asked, lifting up a necklace that Keith didn’t even realize was hanging on him. It was a simple black cord that held a silver ring. “Huh?” Keith said, confused. “This belonged to my mother. It’s a special gift. I must have given it to you yesterday.” Lance said, an odd look on his face. Keith took the necklace, “Do you want it back?” He asked.

“No!” Lance shouted, pushing the necklace back down. “No. No, I…I wanted you to have it. It’s for you. Keep it.” Lance then said more softly. “Lance, I can’t have this. It’s important to you.” Keith said. “I _want_ you to have it. It’s very special. Keep it…please.” Lance said, his cheeks dark red. “Oh…thank you. It’s…really nice.” Keith said softly, curiously looking at the ring. He had no idea. Absolutely _no_ idea.

_Some hours earlier…_

_After the party was finally finished, Lotor bid Team Voltron farewell. “I haven’t had this much fun in so long. I’m looking forward to what else our alliance will bring.” He said, smiling widely enough to show his fangs. When he was gone, the team was teasing Allura. “Don’t think we didn’t notice you two talking the whole time, Princess.” Lance teased. Allura turned pink, “We were only discussing future plans.” She said. “Uh huh. Yeah right.” Pidge spoke up. “You all need to rest.” Allura changed the subject as she turned redder, ushering them out._

_It was sweet, whether she wanted to admit anything or not. She clearly liked Lotor, and Lotor liked her too. The Team bid her and Coran goodnight, able to make their way to their rooms on their own despite their woozy states. Keith felt someone take his hand, and turned to see Lance tugging him, “C’mon.” He said. The two walked down the corridor, waving goodnight to the others. “It’s nice to see the Princess happy.” Keith said. Lance hummed, “It is. She’s always so stressed. She deserves happiness too.” He agreed. The two went into their shared room, and Keith heard Lance take a deep breath. He looked at him, “What is it?” He asked, sitting on the bed. “Speaking of happiness…” Lance trailed off, and came to sit beside him._

_“The future I see…it’s full of happiness. It’s back home, with you, and with the others. For me…happiness is being with you, and getting to spend everyday with you. I would follow you to the ends of the universe, Keith. You have my heart and soul, forever. I can’t imagine a future without you.” He said softly._

_Keith listened, his cheeks warming. Lance also turned a bright shade of red, scratching the back of his neck. He then pulled a cord over his head, which had a ring hanging from it. “I don’t always wear this, just in case some enemy was to tear it off my neck. It’s a very special gift. My mother gave it to me a long time ago. She said, “Only give this to the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with”. And that’s you, Keith. I realized this a while ago. I want to promise you this: I will always be by your side, even if it means I have to follow you to the ends of the universe. This ring…I want you to keep it as a promise of our future back home.” Lance said softly._

_He then held out the necklace, and Keith looked at him. “Are…are you serious?” He asked softly. Lance nodded, his blue eyes glittering. “Yes.” He said. “I can’t believe you. I knew something was up…” Keith whispered. Lance laughed, turning even redder. Keith reached out and tightly embraced him, his heart racing. “I won’t lose this gift. I promise. That future back home…with Zarkon, gone, we’re one step closer now. Just a little bit longer.” He whispered. “Just a little bit longer.” Lance echoed in agreement. The two pulled away, and Lance leaned forward to hang the special necklace on Keith’s neck. Keith smiled, “Thank you, cariño.” He whispered, leaning toward Lance and kissing him. _

Nunvil-Keith knew about the ring.

Sober-Keith _didn’t_. Lance took a breath, “Okay. Let’s do this again.” He suddenly said.

**Author's Note:**

> For clarification:
> 
> Single: Unilu  
> Plural: Uniluu


End file.
